How I’m surviving the summer @ All of my favourite places

This has been a seriously hot summer. Just in case you missed the memo. We have one more month to go (hopefully sans heat waves), so I thought I’d share how I’ve been coping. My summer essentials if you will. Shock horror they are all edible and drinkable.

Coffee – of the cold variety

Coffee is a daily requirement. As a writer I find it is often a three times a day requirement when deadlines are looming.

I love this café, I just want to pick it up and squeeze it. But alas, that’s not possible. I must settle for semi-regular visits. The clever things over there have created Cold Long Blacks, Cold Flat Whites and Cold Almond Milk Flat Whites. All delicious. All very cold.

Speaking of cold almond milk. Pressed Juice recently added Espresso Almond Mylk to their extensive juice range. If I said I haven’t been drinking one a day I would be being dishonest. They are so creamy and sweet and healthy and delicious. I just can’t stop.

This little café that could is at the end of my street (no stalking please) and they just so happen to love all things organic, made in house and healthy, which includes their green juice. Apples, celery, parsley. All the good things.

Touchwood is so big. When no one else is in there I feel there is so much room for activities. Although come the weekends it is very busy, which means no more room for activates, other than coffee drinking and brunch eating. They also make a mean green juice. One of those, have-to-order-if-there ones.

These guys have been doing healthy since before we knew what it meant. So no surprises they have a killer juice menu. You can add supplements, get raw almond milk cacao shakes, and… a green juice. Rejoice. Also raw tacos, raw carrot cake and other sorts of uber healthy things. For those who don’t care about health, they make an outrageously good Mexican burrito filled with all the good things. Cheese, corn chips, sour cream. You guys know what Mexican food is.

Ice Cream – of the any variety

Ok now we’ve had our green juice we can eat all the ice cream. That is how it works and I will hear nothing of the contrary.

I know I know there are lines, but Jesus the gelato is good. The apple pie makes me so happy, filled with big chunks of freshly made apple pie. LIKE REAL APPLE PIE. It’s the stuff of dreams. Look out for their weird and mainly wonderful specials. They are fun.

I happily received a few tubs of their special Australian themed 10 year celebration flavours (is this when I hashtag #freebie). Regardless of their free status, they are delicious. The poppy seed more so than the cumquat, but if you like tart, it might be your thing. I have memories of sitting in my house, which was 39.6 degrees inside at the time, clutching a tub of this stuff. Thank you for making sure I didn’t die in the heat wave.

Acai – of the bowl variety

If you haven’t had an acai bowl yet, you’re missing out. The South American berry is blended up with bananas, coconut water, among other things and topped with fruit or muesli. It’s so good.

Ok, I told you I liked this place. They do a delicious Acai bowl (it’s big and sweet, get it?). Changing all the time, it is topped with seasonal fruit, muesli, coyo, and little baby flowers. So much pretty.

I think I may have let out a slight squeal when I saw this place for the first time. Opening just a week ago, it is the first clean eating café in Melbourne. They have any smoothie combination you could want, super food additions for all things, fresh young coconuts, ready made salads with proteins of your choice, a range of bliss balls AND the real draw card for me is the create-your-own-adventure acai bowls. You get to choose what fruits are added and what goes on top. It’s exciting. Get excited. I’m excited.